The White House calls on Congress to pass a law allowing immigrant children to be held for more than 20 days


White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders had a little trouble explaining how President Trump's administration plans to move forward with its zero tolerance immigration policy.
The Trump administration is figuring out how it can prosecute immigrants without violating the Flores settlement, which prohibits child migrants from being detained for more than 20 days. Sanders confirmed that the Pentagon is helping provide space for tens of thousands of migrant children to be detained on military bases, but she cast responsibility for the legal dilemma aside.
"The law says you can't keep the children, even with parents, for longer than 20 days," one White House reporter said. "So then what happens?"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Rather than explain how immigration officers would continue to detain children without breaking the law, Sanders put the onus on lawmakers. "Hopefully Congress will pass a law and fix the problem," she said.
When the reporter doubted whether a law could come together within a few short days, Sanders blithely asked, "Why should it be so hard?" Invoking the statements from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle against child detention, she continued: "Seems like it should be pretty simple to me." Watch the full moment below, via Fox News. Summer Meza
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
-
Jack Draper: can Britain's Wimbledon hopeful unseat Carlos Alcaraz?
In the Spotlight 'Volcano of emotion' smashes his racket during defeat in Queen's semi-final but world No.4 shows 'fighting spirit'
-
Crossword: June 23, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
How far would Russia go for Iran?
Today's Big Question US air strikes represent an 'embarrassment, provocation and opportunity' all rolled into one for Vladimir Putin
-
ABC News to pay $15M in Trump defamation suit
Speed Read The lawsuit stemmed from George Stephanopoulos' on-air assertion that Trump was found liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll
-
Judge blocks Louisiana 10 Commandments law
Speed Read U.S. District Judge John deGravelles ruled that a law ordering schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms was unconstitutional
-
ATF finalizes rule to close 'gun show loophole'
Speed Read Biden moves to expand background checks for gun buyers
-
Hong Kong passes tough new security law
Speed Read It will allow the government to further suppress all forms of dissent
-
France enshrines abortion rights in constitution
speed read It became the first country to make abortion a constitutional right
-
Texas executes man despite contested evidence
Speed Read Texas rejected calls for a rehearing of Ivan Cantu's case amid recanted testimony and allegations of suppressed exculpatory evidence
-
Supreme Court wary of state social media regulations
Speed Read A majority of justices appeared skeptical that Texas and Florida were lawfully protecting the free speech rights of users
-
Greece legalizes same-sex marriage
Speed Read Greece becomes the first Orthodox Christian country to enshrine marriage equality in law